Internal-combustion engine liquid feeding system



c. a. PIERCE 2,558,979

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE LIQUID FEEDING SYSTEM July 3, 1951 Filed Oct.7, 1947 FIG. l.

I INVENEOR Waan@ SYM/ZM AT'roRNEY Il. I

Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE LIQUID FEEDINGSYSTEM Clayton B. Pierce, New York, N. Y., assignor to EmerolManufacturing Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of IllinoisApplication October 7, 1947, Serial No. 778,491

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a liquid feeding or metering device forinternal combustion engines and particularly to such a device whichfeeds liquid material to the engine in accordance with its operatingrequirements.

The invention operates generally in the manner shown in U. S. Patent No.1,883,110, although the instant invention is not intended to be confinedto lubricating systems. As disclosed in this patent, such a deviceincludes the provision of a movable diaphragm which is acted upon by avacuum existing in the manifold of the internal combustion engine so asto adjust the opening of a needle valve and to control accordingly thequantity of liquid such as oil, fuel or any other like fluid which is tobe delivered to the combustion chambers of the engine through the valveopening. The device is arranged to thereby increase the effective sizeof the valve opening when the engine is running under load so as tocorrespondingly increase the passage of the liq-y uid to the engine.Conversely, the effective valve opening is decreased when the engine isidling and the passage of liquid being delivered is limited accordingly.Thus, the system serves to supply an amount of liquid governed by thespeed of the engine. As to the type of liquid that may be employed, itmay be generally stated that lubricating oil, kerosene, petroleum basesolvents, or even water may be used according to specific requirements.The above liquids are selected depending upon whether lubrication,cleaning, motor tune-up or other treatment is to be effected.

In producing a device of such type, it has been the practice to set thevalve opening in accordance with an indicia Wheel effectively connectedto the valve. Vacuum from a bench test apparatus was employed and thevalve opening was preset accordingly. A user of the apparatus', afterproper installation, would make further adjustments by turning theindicia wheel while the engine was idling until the liquid oil was fedat a slow, predetermined rate. The user was guided by either figures onthe indicia Wheel or by counting the liquid drops as they were fed tothe engine. Generally, and in the case where lubricating oil was beingused, about 3 or 4 drops per minute flowed at engine idling speed andthe user then assumed that the proper flow, i. e. about 40 or 50 dropsper minute, would flow at high speed. Thus, the high speed condition wasa factory adjustment while the low speed was a local or environmentadjustment. By the term high speed I refer to operation of the engineunder its load such as the pulling of a vehicle. It is the high speedcondition which is generally important since it is at that time that thelubrication or other treatment is of most bene fit. The adjustments weretherefore generally inadequate. The ultimate user could not convenientlymake a high speed because the car or other vehicle would have to berunning and the dium of adaptor nut 22a.

engine properly under load. On the other hand, the factory adjustmentwas generally unsatisfactory because it did not truly represent theoperating conditions of any particular engine. Thus, different enginesgenerally produced different degrees of vacuum and a standardized benchtest adjustment, while it was of definite value, did not necessarilyproduce an accurate flow of liquid when the device was installed andoperating.

Bearing the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present inventionto provide means whereby a liquid feeding device of the above charactermay be easily and conveniently adjusted by a user thereof underconditions simulating load operation of the engine with which it isassociated. According to the present invention, the user may operate theengine at idling speed and the device may nevertheless be subjected to avacuum which corresponds substantially to the vacuum which would beproduced were the engine to be operated at high speed and under load.Adjustment of the device may be made during this test period and thedevice may then be restored to its normal state so that when the engineis run at high speed thereafter, the liquid will flow at substantiallythe same rate as that observed during the test adjustment at idlingspeed.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the followingdescription, it being understood that the above general statements ofthe objects of my invention are intended to describe and not limit it inany manner.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the liquid feeding device as taken alongthe lines I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof on a reduced scale.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the lines 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The device comprises a casing or housing III having a substantiallytubular wall I I defining a chamber I2. Wall II is formed with aperpendicular base I3 which is provided with a depending flange I5.Flange I5 is adapted to embrace an enclosing floor I 6 which is securedtherein by screws, not shown, which are receivable into the dome-likenuts II. Secured between the marginal edge of floor I6 and base I3 is acircular diaphragm I8 tightly maintained therebetween at its marginaledge and provided with a gasket I 9. Floor I 6 is formed with a centralannular depression so as to provide a narrow chamber 20 on the undersideof diaphragm I8. Thus, diaphragm I8 operates between the chambers I2 and2B as hereinafter described. An opening 2| is formed centrally of floorI6 and serves to receive a conduit 22 through the me- Conduit 22communicates With the source of supply maintained Within can orreservoir 23.

As will be hereinafter described, diaphragm I3 is adapted to be actedupon by suction con` ditions of an internal combustion engine to whichthe device is applied so as to control the size of a valve openingthrough which the liquid flows to the engine cylinders. Thus, diaphragmI8 is connected to hollow stem 21 as by a hollow brass nut 28. Screwedinto the upper end of stem 21 is a hollow nut 29 providing a valve seat30. Valve seat 30 cooperates with a needle valve 3| in order todetermine the size of the valve opening. as will be evident.

Means are provided to determine the normal relationship of needle valve3| with its valve seat 30. Such means comprise a screw 32 supporting thevalve 3| through a knuckle joint 33. Screw 32 is thrcadedly receivedwithin the nuts 34 and 35, the nut 35 serving as an adjusting dialwhich, in previous embodiments, was provided with indicia for indicatingthe longitudinal position of valve 3| and consequently supplyinginformation as to the size of the valve opening. In the presentembodiment, such indicia is unnecessary, bnt nut 35 may be supplied withan arrow or any other means to indicate which direction of turninglowers or raises the valve 3|. Nut 34 serves primarily to provide aninitial, factory adjustment whereas nut 35, as hereinafter described, isturned during final adjustment by the ultimate user after the device hasbeen installed on an engine. It will be evident that rotation of eithernut 34 or 35 will vary the longitudinal position of valve 3|accordingly. Cap 48 may be unscrewed and replaced as desired duringthese adjustments. A coil spring 35 disposed within a hollow of nut 35serves to maintain the parts in correct and firm re- -lationship and hasas one terminal therefor plate 35a. A coil spring 31 similarlystabilizes the valve enclosing cup 33 against the feed spoon 39 andmaintains the stem 21 against undesired lateral' movement.

Feed spoon 39 serves to receive the liquid as it emerges from the valveseat 30 and permits the liquid to drop onto the pan 40. The liquidthereafter is drawn through orifice or port 4| into the conduit 42 whichis maintained within the internally threaded nipple 43 by the coupling44, a circular grommet or gasket 45 serving to provide a tightconnection. A ring screw 45 provided with a glass window 41 affordsvisual communication 'with the chamber I2 so v that the amount of liquiddripping from spoon '39 onto pan 40 may be observed. Thus, the adjustingmeans provided by nuts 34 and 35 may be actuated pursuant to theobserved flow of liquid device in the engine. In this manner, the upper4chamber I2 is subjected to the suction of the engine so as to actuatethe flexible diaphragm I3, such actuation taking place between the upperor extended chamber I2 and the relatively shallow chamber 20. It will berecognized that as the diaphragm is drawn towards the needle valve 3|,the size of the valve opening decreases to reduce the amount of liquiddrawn from the source of supply to the combustion chambers and valves ofthe engine. The operation of the device is such as to produce a largeropening ofthe valve means when the engine is operating at high speedconditions and reduce the size of the opening during low speedoperation.

vthe hollow of boss 50.

In producing the device, it was formerly the practice to position theneedle valve 3| at the factory by applying a screw driver to the slottedupper end of screw 32. This adjustment was made until the indicia on nut35 was rendered more or less accurate for each specific device. Theadjustment was made by introducing a vacuum to the chamber I2 which wasintended to simulate the vacuum produced through the operation of aninternal combustion engine. Such test vacuum was introduced through theorifice 4| in the same manner that it would be introduced when in actualuse. It was estimated that a conventional engine would produce a vacuumof approximately 15 to 23 inches of mercury when the engine was idlingand would produce a. lower vacuum of about 3 to 7 inches when it wasrunning at high speed. Accordingly, the test vacuum was of the sameorder. When a vacuum of from 3 to 7 inches was applied to chamber I2,the tester would observe the flow of the liquid through the window 41,the liquid flowing in drops from spoon 39 to the pan 40. Screw 32 mightthen be turned until 40 to 50 drops fell per minute. Thereafter, avacuum from 15 to 23 inches was applied and screw 32 again turned, ifnecessary, to produce a flow of about 3 or 4 drops per minute. Thedevice was then packed and shipped as being satisfactorily adjusted. Asabove stated, however, the method of adjusting was not satisfactory inthat different engines required specific adjustment and the user couldnot make this adjustment unless the vehicle were running. It isobviously very diiiicult or impossible for an operator to adjust adevice under the hood of an automobile while he is driving the vehicle.Accordingly, the instant invention makes possible the simulation ofdriving conditions while the engine is idling and the vehicle isstanding still.

A boss is provided as by the process of casting it together with thewall II and base I3. Boss 50 is hollow and internally threaded and itslower opening 5| communicates with chamber I2. Threaded bolt 52 isreceived into the hollow of boss 50 and is itself hollow so as toprovide an air passage to chamber I2 through The upper end of the shankof bolt 52 is formed with an opening 53 serving as an extension of thecentral hollow of bolt 52. Opening 53 is downwardly inclined to avertdust which might clog it. Boss 50 is formed with a countersink 54 at itsupper end which is adapted to receive the lower portion of the head 55of bolt 52. When head 55 is screwed down, the opening 53 is received inthe countersink 54 so as to seal oi the chamber I2 from air through thebolt. Conversely, when the bolt is loosened, opening 53 has access tothe outside air. It has been established that opening 53 may be in theorder of .040 inch although it is to be understood that considerabledeviation although it will still remain to a measurable degree. It hasbeen found that with the opening 53 described and a port 4I having adiameter of .040 inch, the unscrewing of bolt 52 produced a vacuum inchamber I2 of from 3 to 7 inches when the introduced vacuum was from to23 inches. Thus, the operator, by unscrewing bolt 52 While the engine isidling, can produce a vacuum state in chamber I2 which approximates thatwhich occurs when the engine is running under load. The operator needthen merely turn nut 35 until he observes that liquid is dropping at therate of 40 to 50 drops per minute, or any other desired rate dependingupon the specic liquid used or the size of the engine. He then tightensbolt 52 so as to restore the device to its normal operating state.Immediately the diaphragm I8 will be drawn so as to reduce the flowduring idling periods whereas the fiow will be at the higher rate whenthe engine operates under load. In this manner, the factory adjustmentis considerably simplified, if not substantially eliminated, and theoperator of the vehicle has no further need of consulting the indicia,if any, on nut 35. The adjustment which the operator does make is trulymade under conditions which simulate the action of the particularvehicle at load operation. It will be evident that the dimensions abovegiven may be considerably varied, it being the principal objective toproduce a vacuum in chamber I2 of from 3 to 7 inches by loosening bolt52 when the introduced vacuum is from 15 to 23 inches. The actual lowlvacuum achieved by loosening the nut may be proportional to theintroduced vacuum according to this example.

It will be observed that nut 35 is externally accessible in that itsactuation does not interfere with or disable the apparatus. Accordingly,the adjustment of external bolt 52 may be made under operatingconditions of the device. Such adjustment is made, of course, incooperation with Window I'I which makes it possible to know when theadjustment is correct.

If desired, bolt 52 may be entirely removed if itis desired to feed aliquid to the engine directly through the opening of boss 50 instead ofthrough the entire device as described above.

While there has been described what at present is considered a preferredembodiment of the invention, it will be evident that many changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from its spirit. Itis therefore aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a liquid feeding device including a vacuum actuated diaphragm andvalve for feeding liquid to the cylinders of an internal combustionengine in accordance with the vacuum produced by the operation of saidengine, means to simulate load operation vacuum conditions while theengine is idling, said means comprising an outlet in said device forrelieving at least a portion of said vacuum so as to subject saiddiaphragm to correspondingly lower vacuum actuation, a Window in saidd'evice for observing the variations in liquid feeding as the vacuumactuation on said diaphragm is varied during operation of the device,and threaded adjustment means for said valve so as to substantiallypredetermine the rates of liquid flow therethrough in accordance withsaid produced vacuum. said adjustment means being externally accessibleso as to be operable during operation of said device.

2. A method of adjusting a liquid flow in a liquid feeding deviceoperating through the application of an engine-produced vacuum whilesaid device is functioning on an engine, which comprises relieving atleast a portion of said vacuum so as to subject said device tocorrespondingly lower vacuum actuation and adjusting the flow of liquidtherethrough during and corresponding with such application of lowervacuum actuation.

3. A method of adjusting a liquid liow in a liquid feeding deviceoperating through the application of an engine-produced vacuum whilesaid device is functioning on an engine, which comprises neutralizing amajor portion of said vacuum so as to simulate load conditions while theengine is idling and adjusting the now ofliquid through the devicepursuant to such reduced vacuum conditions.

4. A feeding device for attachment to an internal combustion engine soas to feed liquid from a source of supply, said device comprising adiaphragm operative for actuation by the vacuum present in the intakemanifold of the engine when running, externally accessible valve meansconnected to said diaphragm so as to produce a larger opening when theengine is operating under load, and a smaller opening when the engine isidling whereby liquid from said source of sup-f ply may be fed throughan opening of a size commensurate with the speed of the engine, saidvalve means being manually adjustable substantially externally of saiddevice during operation thereof and whereby the extent of its saidopenings may be substantially predetermined, means to temporarilyrelieve said diaphragm from said vacuum during said engine idling speedwhereby the response of said diaphragm simulates load or high speedoperation of the engine, said relieving means including an air vent forat least partially neutralizing said vacuum and a window in said devicefor observing the iiow of oil through said valve means during relief ofsaid diaphragm from said vacuum.

5. A liquid feeding device according to claim 4 and including anair-tight chamber housing said diaphragm, said air vent communicatingwith said chamber and being settable to both open and closed positionsso that in the closed'position thereof said diaphragm is acted upon bythe full vacuum from the engine and in the open position thereof, whilethe engine is idling, the vacuum is partially neutralized so as tosimulate a higher speed of engine operation.

6. A liquid feeding device according to claim 5 and including a hollowthreaded bolt screwed into said chamber, the hollow of said boltcomprising said air vent, said air vent having an effective diameter ofapproximately .040 inch.

CLAYTON B. PIERCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date v160,669 Gray Mar. 9, 18751,883,110 Thompson Oct. 18, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date210,898 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1924

